


The Wizard and the Dragon

by dojaefairy



Category: NU'EST, Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Romance, Werewolves, Wizards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-07 17:23:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20313226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dojaefairy/pseuds/dojaefairy
Summary: Jisung, a lonely wizard, had no idea what he was getting himself into when he adopted a cute dragon named Ping.





	The Wizard and the Dragon

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 69 of the Golden Promise fic fest, I'm very happy with what I did with this story. I had no idea how it got this long, though... anyway, please enjoy this story, I poured my heart into it <3

"Ping!”

Jisung blinked confusedly at the unknown sound.

“Ping!”

He looked up, aside, and finally down, and gasped when his eyes finally caught sight of a very unlikely creature: a very cute tiny orange dragon standing on his two feet in the green grass in front of his house. He rubbed his eyes, and crouched down to observe the creature from a closer stance. The dragon made eye contact with him, and went “Ping!” once more.

“Is that your name?” Jisung asked to the tiny creature.

He offered his palm to the dragon, and watched closely as he rubbed his head against it, before licking it gently.

“You’re a nice little guy, aren’t ya,” Jisung joked, taking the risk to caress the dragon.

He was so small compared to those giant mountain dragons that he was only twice as big as Jisung’s palm, and very obviously not that heavy. The dragon let Jisung touch him and inspect his body, and let out happy noises as Jisung scratched his head with his thumb. He actually surprised Jisung when he suddenly jumped in his arms. Jisung fell on his ass, his hands full of dragon, and he started laughing as he realized that the dragon was rubbing himself against his chest as though he was asking for a hug. Jisung hugged the dragon to him, and the creature made more happy noises.

Jisung ran a hand through his hair, and kept petting the dragon with his free one. This morning was off to a really strange start. What was he even supposed to do with that dragon? He looked down at him, and the dragon also looked at him. Jisung raised him in the air.

“Who are you and what is it that you want?” Jisung asked, not expecting any answer.

The dragon opened its mouth.

“Ping!”

Jisung smiled softly.

“Right, that’s your name, huh? At least you answered one of my questions.”

Ping wiggled in Jisung’s arms, and repeated his name. Jisung brought him back against his chest, and Ping curled up in his arms.

“Are you hungry?”

Ping suddenly reacted at that, and he went “Ping!!” louder than before. Jisung started laughing so much he got the hiccups, while the dragon was looking at him curiously.

“Okay, I’ve got some pancakes and milk… do dragons like you eat that kind of food? I’ve never had a dragon.”

Ping was staring at him as he kept talking.

Jisung was used to talking to himself as he lived on his own, which was a life he had grown accustomed to. Despite living alone, he saw many people, mostly fellow wizards and witches who stopped by to chat and exchange spells, some of whom were his friends, and the customers to whom he offered his services when he went to the city. But he led his life in his house, located near a beautiful lake and equally distant to mountains, and he really liked it that way. He had been considering moving to somewhere warmed in the South, maybe near the sea, which he hadn’t been to in years.

But for now, thoughts of moving were far in the back in his mind, as he was focused on having breakfast. He went back inside, and let Ping sit on a chair as he got out some pancakes and milk from his fridge. He giggled to himself at the peculiarity of the situation, that is to say, having a baby dragon in his home, with which he was about to have breakfast. He sat at the table, in front of Ping, and started munching on his pancakes, on which he had put jam. He had put some jam on Ping’s as well, and filled a bowl with milk. Surprisingly enough, the dragon used his claws to feed itself, and drank the milk carefully. Jisung sighed in amusement as he stared at the little creature, which was obviously enjoying itself with the food. After five pancakes, Jisung felt full, but Ping looked like it could eat more.

“Really?” Jisung said as he gave the dragon the last two pancakes.

“Ping,” Ping answered, mouth full.

Jisung felt his heart deeply soften at the sight of the cute creature stuffing his face with food. He didn’t have a familiar or any pets, and he sometimes missed having that kind of presence here. He had lost his dog several years ago, and hadn’t had the heart to get another one yet. But a dragon… that sounded funny. He’d need to look up what kind of dragons Ping was, though, he had never seen his kind in any book.

Jisung got up and cleaned the dishes, and got a tissue.

“Hey, look at me,” Jisung told Ping.

Ping looked up, obediently, and Jisung helped him clean its face, which still had some crumbs and dried milk on his jaw.

“There you go, all clean,” Jisung grinned.

“Ping,” Ping said.

Jisung brushed his teeth, and got dressed before heading outside with a spellbook, Ping on his heels. Jisung put his spellbook on his garden table, and picked up the dragon in his arms.

“I’m going to work on some spells, so I need you to be a good dragon and stay quiet, can you do that?”

Ping stared at him with his big, round eyes and nodded. Jisung smiled brightly at the reaction of the creature.

“You’re really nice,” Jisung commented, nodding at the dragon.

Ping leaned in closer, and licked his chin, then his cheek. That sent Jisung into a giggling fit, and only encouraged Ping to lick him more.

“Okay, okay, that’s enough!” Jisung laughed, and Ping stopped.

He sent a seemingly pleading look at Jisung, and tried his best to stay cuddled up against his chest, weaving his small tail around one of his arms.

“Are all dragons that cuddly or is that just you?” Jisung teased Ping.

“Ping!”

“Aww, you’re really too cute,” Jisung cooed, “but I really need to work, okay? We can play together after, how does that sound?”

“Ping?”

“Hm-hm.”

“Ping!”

After gaining the approval of his new pet (?), Jisung carefully put him on one of the chairs that came with the garden table.

“Stay here and be nice,” Jisung instructed, to which Ping nodded before curling onto itself.

* * *

Jisung spent his morning creating spells, which he would then put in various containers so that they could be sold later, and he stopped around lunch time to cook. Ping curled up around his shoulders and neck, making it harder than usual to move, but he grew used to the new presence surprisingly quickly. He cooked more so that he could also feed Ping, who seemed very, very interested in food.

They had lunch, and Jisung allowed himself time to relax outside, as it was warm and sunny. Ping followed him, and settled on his lap. Jisung took a nap, and so did Ping. The little dragon seemed to be in synchronization with him.

When Jisung woke up, Ping was still sleeping soundlessly. Jisung stared at him with tenderness, and wondered how came that it was so easy to get attached. Maybe it really had been too long since he had had a pet, and now that he could potentially get one, he was getting ridiculously attached. Maybe Ping was special, Jisung thought with affection.

It was time for his daily swimming in the lake, and so he gently gathered Ping in his arms and put him on the chair. Ping moved in his sleep, but didn’t wake up. Jisung smiled at him, and undressed completely, putting his clothes on the table, before heading into the lake. Thanks to the constant sun, the water had gotten deliciously warmer, and he swam for a long time, too happy to indulge himself.

When he swam back to the coast near his house, he had the surprise to see Ping frenetically shaking and whining on the ground, as if he was scared. He swam quicker, and stopped when he was barely one meter away from the solid ground.

“Hey, Ping, what’s wrong?” he said, raising his voice to let Ping hear him.

Ping reacted to his voice, and looked up at him with wide eyes. Jisung didn’t understand his behavior.

“Were you worried because I went away? Sorry, I’m fine!”

Ping croaked a sad “Ping!”, and jumped. Jisung successfully caught him in his arms before he could fall in the water.

“Hey, hey, shhh, calm down, everything’s fine, shhh.”

He’s so cute, Jisung cried inwardly, hugging the dragon closer to him. He caressed his back, gently, and created some soothing waves at the tip of his fingers. The added sensation seemed to ease Ping a lot, and Jisung got out of the water. He brought his towel to him with magic, then he dried himself the best he could, considering he had a dragon that refused to leave his side, before dressing up again.

He got back in his house, and let Ping make itself comfortable around his shoulders again.

“I’m gonna bake a cake, hm-kay?”

“Ping!”

At least Ping seemed calmer now. Jisung smiled at the thought that his baby dragon seemed to have taken a liking to him. While baking, he day dreamed of raising Ping to be an adult dragon, and how awesome it would be to have such company. A dragon would be a perfect familiar, fearsome, powerful, and on top of that, if Ping kept his sweet character, it would also be nice to have him around. He wondered if he could teach Ping the common language, and more. Maybe Ping also had magical powers that could be amplified to the best of their capacity? There were countless possibilities.

“Hey, Ping, would you like to stay with me?” Jisung asked as they were both outside again, laying on the grass while waiting for the cake to be done.

Ping was laying on his chest, fully awake, and he sometimes gave tiny kisses to Jisung’s chin. At Jisung’s question, he raised his head, and made a happy “Ping!!”.

“Is that a yes?” Jisung asked, and Ping got up on his tiny legs.

Jisung tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t help but smile at how the dragon was looking at him, looking cute.

“So?” Jisung teased, and to his surprise, Ping went “Ping!” and leaned down enough to kiss him on the mouth. Jisung, surprised, took a few seconds to understand what was going on, and he gently pushed back the dragon.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Jisung scolded him, knotting his eyebrows together, but not sounding mean.

“Ping?” Ping said, tilting his head.

Jisung ignored the “cuuuute!!” that he inwardly screamed, and sat up with Ping in his lap.

“Look, however adorable you are, there are lines that we won’t cross. What is it gonna be later if I let you kiss me now? Think about when you’ll be an adult!”

“Ping,” Ping answered, defiantly, and Jisung shook his head.

“Nope. Just because you happen to be the cutest dragon of the whole universe doesn’t mean I’ll let you do how you please.”

Ping looked down, as if he was thinking, then looked up, determined. Jisung didn’t like the look on the dragon’s face, although it was hard to tell what went through his mind given his round eyes barely let anything show. Ping jumped up, kissed his mouth again, and ran away on his tiny legs.

“Ping!” Jisung exclaimed, half-amazed, half-laughing.

“Piiing!”

That sounded like “catch me if you can.” So Jisung got up and started chasing after the dragon, who let out happy noises as he was being chased. Ultimately, Jisung managed to catch him, and Ping wiggled, desperately trying to get out of his embrace, but in vain.

“Let’s have cake now, you little rascal,” Jisung said.

At the mention of food, Ping turned once again into the adorable baby dragon he was, and acted all obedient.

They had chocolate cake with whipped cream, and Jisung was already failing to be strict with Ping as eventually he let him finish the whole bowl of cream, licking it clean and making a mess of himself. He cuddled and played with Ping until the sun set, and made dinner, Ping observing him carefully. Once the dinner was cooking in the oven, Jisung went to have a bath, and once more, couldn’t part with Ping.

Earlier, seeing how panicked Ping had been when he had gone swimming, Jisung had hypothesized Ping couldn’t swim, which explained its reaction to Jisung disappearing into the water. So in the bath, he was very careful to not let Ping too deep into the water, and eventually cast a size spell on a bath toy to make it bigger so that Ping could ride it and not drown. He had the funniest time observing how the tiny dragon was floating on the big yellow duck, and eventually brought Ping to himself in a hug again.

They had dinner, and Jisung marveled at how this dragon could eat everything he himself ate. Ping seemed to really love food, and that made Jisung wonder how he had survived so far. He hadn’t started looking for information on this dragon kind, resulting in him being as clueless as this morning when he had first seen Ping. He’d do that later.

After cleaning the dishes and brushing his teeth, Jisung settled on his couch with a book, Ping curled up around his neck. He read for an hour, and headed to bed, the sleepy baby dragon attached to him and not letting go even in his sleep. He covered himself with his blanket, and hugged Ping to his chest as he fell asleep.

* * *

The following morning, Jisung woke up to Ping kissing his face while making happy noises.

“Hello to you too,” Jisung said.

He was too soft on the dragon, clearly. Ping rubbed his head against his chin, and pecked his mouth. Jisung tried to sound as stern as possible when he called out his dragon’s name to tell him to stop, but Ping merely whined cutely.

The day went similarly to the previous one, Jisung alternating cooking, eating, and working, with Ping always close to him. When the time for his daily swimming session came, Jisung went completely into the water, letting just his head above the surface, and he spoke up to a visibly worried Ping.

“I’m gonna swim for a bit, I’ll be back later. Be good and wait for me, okay?”

“Ping...” Ping sighed, sadly.

“Don’t worry,” Jisung smiled.

Seeing as the tiny dragon was sitting so disappointed, looking like he had been punished, Jisung felt his heart soften. He swam back to the coast, and while still laying in the water, he called out Ping’s name, softly. Ping looked up, hopeful. Jisung pressed a kiss against his mouth, and told him to wait. Ping went “Ping” in an amazed way, and his eyes seem to sparkle.

“You’re so cute,” Jisung cooed, “I love you.”

“Ping!!”

He felt love for Ping in the same way one feels love towards a pet, the kind of affection that makes people kiss and hug their pets while acting a little silly when talking to them.

Jisung smiled, and thought that he definitely wanted to keep Ping around. He let him kiss his cheek while patting his face with his tiny arms, and went swimming. Ping waved, and headed for a chair, where he curled up and fell asleep.

After his swimming session, Jisung had a bath with Ping, and they were playing outside when the wind started blowing. Ping looked up in the sky, curious, and Jisung started smiling, already having an inkling of who it might be. A dot appeared in the sky, gradually getting bigger in size, until it took a seemingly human form. Jisung got up, letting Ping on the garden table, and waited for their visitor to come closer.

Jisung clapped excitedly as his friend and fellow wizard Jaehwan landed on the ground and got off his broom.

“Jisung!” Jaehwan exclaimed in that loud tone of his.

He put his broom against the garden table and jumped in Jisung’s arms, who caught him into a tight hug.

“Jisung!!!” Jaehwan yelled again, and Jisung burst in laughter.

Jaehwan picked up Jisung and did a few turns on himself, and finally let him down on the ground after almost making both of them fall.

“It’s so good to see you!” Jaehwan said, pulling Jisung into another brief, but tight hug.

“It is,” Jisung smiled brightly, looking at his friend with fondness, “how are you?”

“I’m good, traveling a bit for now because being stuck at home is boring,” Jaehwan winced.

Jaehwan was someone whose fate had gone from that of a regular wizard to highly unlikely the moment he had accidentally gotten married to Daniel, a prince of a werewolf tribe. The story behind their marriage was long and full of unexpected events, but eventually, they had made the decision to remain married as they had gotten to know each other more.

They were now at a moment of their story where Daniel’s parents wanted them to have children, but neither Daniel or Jaehwan wanted kids for now. Jaehwan had always enjoyed traveling on his broom throughout the world, while Daniel was more of a stay-at-home kind of person, so that was already something that impacted their relationship. On top of that, they didn’t feel ready to be parents yet.

Jisung had gotten to know Daniel more, whom he deeply loved as a friend, but all the more because he knew them both, Jisung would be the first one to agree that they were not fit to have children yet. That said, it was one of the couple’s projects, but for now, Jaehwan would still leave for long periods of time on his travels while Daniel lived with his pack, and the couple was really happy that way.

Jisung knew Jaehwan from their days as teenagers at the wizard academy, where they had surprisingly become really good friends in spite of their different characters. Jaehwan’s loud and enthusiastic nature complemented Jisung’s chatty and slightly anxious one, and now, as adults, they got along better than ever. They saw each other often, and when they couldn’t physically meet up, they’d use various magical artifacts to have hours-long conversations.

Jisung couldn’t resist pulling Jaehwan into another hug, arms tightly circling his waist, while Jaehwan hugged his shoulders.

“It’s been a long time since you saw someone, hasn’t it?” Jaehwan teased.

“It has,” Jisung whined, “I haven’t seen anyone in weeks, I was getting really lonely.”

They broke their embrace, and Jaehwan frowned.

“You sell stuff at the city thought, don’t you?”

“I do, but I mean, seeing friends.”

“Oh, right. You should come visit us, you’ve never come and Daniel would be delighted to see you again. And I promise werewolves aren’t actually scary.”

“Jaehwan, you’re married to a werewolf.”

“Which doesn’t mean I couldn’t be scared of the others!”

“Piiiing...”

The whine interrupted their conversation, and both Jaehwan and Jisung turned to Ping, who seemed close to tears on the garden table. Jisung’s heart broke seeing his dragon so sad, and he immediately picked him up in his arms.

“Is there something wrong?” he asked Ping, worried, but Ping merely hid in his chest while whining.

“What’s that?” Jaehwan asked, gaping.

“That’s Ping, he’s a dragon I adopted. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, though… Ping?”

“You adopted a dragon?!” Jaehwan choked, and Jisung motioned him not to be so loud.

Ping looked up at Jisung, fat tears already escaping his round eyes, and Jisung, alarmed, wiped them off with his sleeve.

“Shh, shh, don’t cry baby, don’t cry, I’m here.”

Jisung let Ping cling on his shoulder while he kept crying, and he created the soothing waves that had helped him calm down yesterday, rubbing his back with the tip of his fingers. Ping’s sobs ceased, and Jaehwan and Jisung shared a worried gaze.

“Do you think he’s afraid of me?” Jaehwan asked.

“Maybe?” Jisung wondered aloud, still caressing Ping, “I don’t know how much he’s been through or what he’s encountered, I just adopted him yesterday. He seemed fine with me, but he did cry when I left him to go swim.”

“Maybe he’s got some attachment issues,” Jaewhan voiced, “he got attached to you so if you leave his sight or if someone gets close to you, he can’t stand it.”

Jaehwan’s words were proved true literally seconds after as Ping turned and took a look at him. Jaewhan remained unmoving at first, then touched Jisung’s other shoulder, and both wizards witnessed how the dragon’s eyes filled up with warm tears again. He buried his face in Jisung’s shoulder, as if he didn’t want to see Jaehwan near Jisung, and the two friends looked at each other.

“Uh, sorry,” Jisung said, eyebrows knitting together.

“It’s fine,” Jaehwan laughed, “you can probably train him, he looks quite young.”

Jisung nodded.

They went into his house and enjoyed some cake, and Jisung even started training Ping into accepting food and caresses from Jaehwan. Ping visibly still had trouble with Jaehwan touching Jisung, though, but Jisung showed firmness and decided not to be too mellow with his pet. Ping croaked and cried quite a bit, but eventually calmed down seeing that Jisung would not comfort him. The tiny dragon looked so miserable both Jaehwan and Jisung felt like crying, but Jisung managed to hold back from hugging him and spoiling him.

Ping sat sadly on the corner of Jisung’s couch, head down as the two friends were catching up, and he then dragged himself on a chair facing the couch, where he lay on his back, tears sometimes escaping from his big eyes. Jisung and Jaehwan were discussing the making of some potions with much enthusiasm, and Ping was feeling abandoned by his owner. He was crying so much it was as if his whole body would melt from all of his crying.

As Jisung got up to get a notebook, he noticed Ping in his puddle of tears on the chair facing them, and hastily gave the notebook to Jaehwan before picking up Ping in his arms.

“Give me just a sec,” Jisung asked, and Jaehwan sent him a thumbs up.

Jisung went out, Ping in his arms, and sighed.

“Baby, I taught you that you don’t need to cry when I’m with someone else, and you don’t need to cry yourself to death when it happens. I’m here, I’m with you, and I’m fine. Unless you’re crying because of something else? Are you feeling hurt somewhere?”

Ping blinked, a few more tears falling down, and Jisung made a tissue appear to help him clean his face and his nose.

“Ping, Ping, Piiiiing, Ping.”

Jisung wasn’t sure what that meant, but it seemed his dragon was trying to make him understand his feelings. He was upset, but why? Jisung felt bad for not getting it. Ping raised his arms towards Jisung face, so Jisung raised him up. Ping patted his cheeks, and pressed a wet kiss against one of them.

“Maybe Jaehwan’s right, you’re just very attached to me. I love you too, you know?”

“Ping,” Ping said, sadly.

“Ping, I just told you I love you,” Jisung replied.

Ping nodded slowly, and Jisung caressed his head. Jisung pecked his mouth, and Ping clapped his tiny arms.

“Okay, you get another one, but then, that’s it!”

Jisung smiled before giving his pet another kiss.

“Promise you’ll be a good baby now?”

Ping nodded, licking Jisung’s chin. Jisung let him do so as they went back into the house, where Jaehwan was writing a letter.

“Who are you writing to?” Jisung asked while Ping was climbing up on top of his head.

“Daniel,” Jaewan answered with a soft, loving smile, which made Jisung smile in return, “he told me he loved reading about my adventures, so whenever I leave home, I always write several letters to him so that he won’t miss me too much.”

“That’s adorable,” Jisung said, “can he write you back?”

“It’s kind of difficult, but I’m currently working on an enchantment that would make it possible for him to send letters that would reach me. But it’s a lot of work and magic to create a path leading to me, especially considering that I’m always moving. I don’t have that issue when I want to write to him, because I can use the regular posting system.”

“Hm, then what you’d need is something similar to a tracking enchantment, right? Those are hard to create,” Jisung nodded.

“Yeah,” Jaehwan sighed, “Daniel assured me it wasn’t urgent, but I know he’d like to send me letters back.”

“You two are so cute,” Jisung cooed, “if you need my magic or some spells, anything, really, I’d be happy to help.”

“Thank you! Well, I might spend a night or two here if you don’t mind, so we could probably work on that.”

Jisung smiled brightly.

“Of course!”

However, his smile faltered when he saw Jaehwan’s expression morph into one of teasing.

“In exchange, do _you_ need help getting laid?”

“Getting lai-” Jisung choked.

It was to a point Ping almost fell from his head. Ping gripped his hair tightly, making Jisung wince, and seeing as the top of Jisung’s head was no longer a safe space, Ping jumped on his lap. Ping seemed to glare at Jaehwan for making Jisung move, and he hugged the middle of Jisung’s waist with his tiny arms.

“I do not need help to date anyone, thank you very much!”

“Ping!” Ping added, making both Jaehwan and Jisung burst in laughter.

“To be honest with you, I don’t see how your little guy would let you date in peace now that you’ve adopted him,” Jaehwan joked.

“You need to work on your jealousy issues,” Jisung told Ping, who looked back at him with pleading eyes, “and to stop looking at me like that each time I tell you to behave.”

Ping blinked, and Jisung sighed before hugging him. Ping made a happy noise, and Jaewhan snorted.

“Should we have dinner?”

Jaehwan and Jisung busied themselves with cooking, choosing to go with a meat and potatoes meal, but while they did so, neither noticed that Ping was not with them anymore. It was only when the meal was cooking in the oven that Jaehwan asked aloud about Ping’s whereabouts. Jisung blinked, and suddenly panicked. He scanned the room with his magic, and went “what?” when he felt Ping’s aura on a bookshelf in his workshop.

The two wizards headed there, and Jisung gasped in horror as he saw his pet feasting on one of his magic books.

“Merlin!” Jisung swore, “Ping, stop that now!”

Ping looked up, confused, and shrunk on himself at Jisung’s loud and scolding tone. He let go of the spellbook, and looked at Jisung with pleading eyes. Jisung first checked his book, and swore once more as he saw how much the dragon had eaten. Why would he have eaten a book in the first place?

“I can fix that,” Jaehwan said, seeing as Jisung was close to losing his mind, and he immediately articulated a spell that reversed the destruction process of the book.

Jisung, meanwhile, caught Ping, and not minding his whining, put him into a birdcage that he was storing in his workshop. He locked the door, and crossed his arms disapprovingly.

“You don’t eat spellbooks Ping, you don’t just. Dinner was almost ready and yet you did this? I don’t think I’ll let you eat for now. Actually, I don’t even think I’ll let you sleep with me either tonight.”

Ping started crying, but Jisung stood his ground.

“You’re gonna stay in this cage until you’ve learned your lesson,” Jisung warned, and with that, he left the workshop, followed by Jaehwan.

“Aren’t you being too hard on him?” Jaehwan asked, “I was able to fix your spellbook just fine.”

Jisung sighed, and sat on his couch.

“I don’t want to do this, but I can’t let him eat anything. He might have done that out of spite for earlier when we let him cry, or because he was feeling jealous, or even maybe because he was feeling hungry. I’d rather have him learn the hard way that he can’t just do what he wants.”

Jaehwan nodded. Jisung’s stricter side didn’t come out often, but when it did, it was never fun to deal with.

They soon started talking again, and the oven beeped, letting them know the food was ready. Because time had passed, Jisung told Jaehwan to take care of the food, while he’d go and deliver Ping. The moment he stood in his workshop, Ping, who had previously been laying in the cage, stood up. When he saw Jisung, he visibly sobbed, and his small arms, going through the cage seemed to be reaching for him. Jisung looked down at his pet, and spoke up.

“Did you learn your lesson? Will you not eat anything unless I’ve told you to do so?”

Ping seemed to nod, fat tears escaping his eyes while he whined a pained “Ping!”. Jisung unlocked the cage, and Ping jumped in his arms, crying loudly. Jisung hugged him, and caressed him gently. He went back to the living room, and Jaehwan cooed seeing the weeping dragon.

“There’s good food we prepared,” Jaehwan told Ping, “so stop crying, okay? It’s over.”

Ping nodded, and Jisung kissed his head.

Jaehwan marveled at how much Ping ate, and the unlikely trio had fun feasting on the mashed potatoes and meat. The accident from earlier was soon forgotten, and at the end of their meal, Jisung offered that they contacted Daniel to let him know where Jaehwan was and that he would stay here for a few days, which Jaehwan accepted.

Jaehwan cast a spell on Jisung’s mirror in the living room, and they waited for the connection with Daniel to be established. The mirror got blurry, and soon, it was Daniel that appeared instead of their own reflection. Daniel’s face split with a huge grin, and Jaehwan clung to Jisung excitedly.

“Hi baby!” Jaehwan exclaimed, and Jisung laughed at how both he and Daniel looked overjoyed to see each other.

“Good evening my love,” Daniel clasped his hands together, “hi Jisung!”

“Hey Daniel,” Jisung greeted, happy to see his friend, even if it was just through a mirror.

“I didn’t know you were planning on visiting Jisung,” Daniel commented.

“I wasn’t sure but my trip led me there, so I’m staying for a few days,” Jaehwan replied, “how are you?”

“I’ve been good,” Daniel said, “remember how I told you about my project to extend the house? I’ve been drawing plans and getting some measurements done to start as soon as possible. By the time you come back, I might have started already.”

“That’s amazing,” Jaehwan exclaimed, “I’ll work with you on that when I’m back.”

Jisung felt his heart soften at how the couple was in synch in their excitement, and felt happy to see them display such affection for each other.

“But enough about me, how are you, Jisung?” Daniel asked, “what’s that thing on your head?”

“I’m good, and this” he grabbed Ping to show him better, “is Ping, he’s a dragon I adopted yesterday. Isn’t he adorable?”

“Ping,” Ping said, and Daniel stared at him curiously.

“What did he say?” Daniel asked.

“I don’t know,” Jisung admitted, “I haven’t done my research on his species yet and all I know is that he’s very attached to me.”

“Ping!”

“I can confirm,” Jaehwan nodded, “he cried so hard earlier because I was literally just breathing next to Jisung.”

“He looks so cute,” Daniel cooed, “could we also adopt a dragon?” he asked Jaehwan, puppy eyes in action.

“Nope, we are not adopting a dragon ever,” Jaehwan replied, shaking his head, “I know I sometimes have crazy ideas but that’s a big no.”

“You can come visit me and my dragon, though,” Jisung said, and Daniel laughed.

Jaehwan asked how Daniel’s family was doing, and winced learning his mother-in-law had yet again asked when she would finally be a grand-mother. Daniel had told her that the reason they were extending the house was to build rooms for their future kids (which was a half lie) and she had gotten even more excited… which was the complete opposite of what Daniel had been trying to achieve, that is to say, calm her down.

Jaehwan sighed and shrugged, saying that eventually they would get kids, they just needed some time for themselves for now. Jisung patted his shoulder at that, and Daniel asked Jaehwan where he had been on his trip. Jisung also listened as Jaehwan described the mountains he had explored during the past few days: those were the bigger and coldest ones in the regions, but some wizards lived there, as well as many fantastical beings. Jisung glanced at Daniel as Jaehwan was talking about the dwarves he had met, and felt soft seeing how starry-eyed he was staring at his husband. Jisung hugged Ping a little tighter, and wished that he’d also find someone who’d look at him like this.

An hour into the conversation, and Jisung felt sleep slowly overcoming him. He yawned, and blinked tiredly. Daniel, seeing him yawn, yawned as well, and Jaehwan offered that they went to sleep.

“That sounds good,” Daniel nodded, “good night to all three of you,” he added.

“Night Niel!”

“I love you, good night,” Jaehwan said, blowing an air kiss to his husband.

Daniel giggled, and puckered his lips as if he was kissing Jaehwan back.

“Love you too,” he grinned.

Jisung dismissed the communication spell, and stretched his arms. He gathered Ping in his arms again, and showed Jaehwan the guest room. Jaehwan flopped on the bed, face first, making Jisung snort.

“Good night!” Jisung said.

Jaehwan answered by the same two words, and Jisung closed the door. He sleepily walked to his own room, and changed before hiding under his blanket, Ping in his arms.

* * *

The following morning, the two wizards enjoyed breakfast together. Jaehwan had brought some elfish biscuits as a gift to Jisung, and Jisung was amazed at how tasty they were. Because they were very nourishing, he only had two, and he gave a few to Ping, who devoured them hungrily.

After dressing and washing up, they went outside to enjoy the sunlight while working on the enchantment that Jaehwan wanted to design. Jaehwan spent time explaining to Jisung what steps he had taken so far in the crafting of the spell, and Jisung took some notes so as to offer a few thoughts on how to improve it. They eventually resorted to flipping through Jisung’s magic books for some help, and tried several things before lunch.

Jisung prepared a light lunch, just snacks and sandwiches with cold tea, and Jaehwan couldn’t help but express how happy he was that they were having a picnic near the lake when the weather was so nice.

“This place is so nice,” Jaehwan sighed happily, “and your house is also so lovely. It’s not too hot in summer, but it also seems like it’s a very warm place in winter.”

“It is,” Jisung agreed, caressing Ping who was falling asleep in his lap, “in winter I seldom go out unless I really have to, but my home really keeps the heat inside. I use my chimney daily, and the fire is really comforting, especially since I live alone.”

“Wouldn’t you like to have someone to share all of that?” Jaehwan asked, sincere and not teasing.

“I mean, like most people, I’d like to… but meeting new people is not something I really do living here, and it’s not even less easy to meet someone with whom I could develop a romantic bond.”

“I understand,” Jaehwan nodded, “honestly, I think I’d be the same if I hadn’t married Daniel by accident. I’m lucky he doesn’t mind me traveling, though, I’d go crazy staying at home the way he does. The members from his pack are all close and used to living together, but I’m more of a free spirit, so it clashes with their lifestyle. I’ll never really be a pack member, but I’m fine with it. To be honest, as long as I have Daniel, I don’t really mind.”

“Daniel is a really nice person”, Jisung agreed with a smile, “you’re a good match.”

Jaehwan smiled back.

“I’m sure you’ll eventually find someone, maybe even before you start having wrinkles!”

Jisung gasped.

“Hey!”

“Do you want me to give you advice on how to create anti-wrinkles creams?” Jaehwan teased, and Jisung hit him.

“Rude!”

Jaewhan laughed loudly, and Jisung sighed, shaking his head.

“I should let you sleep outside tonight.”

“I’m pretty used to doing that, it wouldn’t be that much of a punishment,” Jaewhan snorted.

Jisung pouted.

Jisung told Jaehwan about his nap and swimming routine, and Jaehwan giggled, finding it cute.

“I don’t need to take a nap, but you can totally take one. I’ll read something and keep writing my letter to Daniel while you do.”

Jisung grinned, and soon fell asleep, cuddling Ping against his chest. Jaehwan put on his reading glasses, and invested himself in one of Jisung’s magic books.

When Jisung woke up later, Jaehwan had actually closed his eyes, reading glasses and book long forgotten on the garden table, and he was seemingly enjoying the sunlight. That made Jisung smile, and he gently shook his shoulder.

“What happened to not napping?” he teased.

“I was just getting a tan,” Jaehwan replied, and they both laughed.

“Would you like to come with me to swim? The water temperature is delicious and there’s some really interesting creatures in the lake,” Jisung offered.

Jaehwan frowned at “interesting creatures.”

“What kind of creatures?” he asked, not fully convinced.

“Nothing mean, don’t worry. You know I’m afraid of lakes and seas when it gets too deep, but this lake is really harmless. There’s some fishes and other magical creatures you can only find around here.”

Jaehwan’s frown intensified.

“You can come and if you don’t like it we’ll go back. You know how much of a scaredy-cat I am, I promise it’s safe.”

Jaehwan nodded, and they both stripped to their underwear. Jaehwan entered the water first, and went “oh!!” at how warm it was. Jisung watched him splash around happily, just like a kid, and turned to Ping.

“We’ll go swim a bit and we’ll be back soon, okay baby?”

Ping’s eyes were wet, but he nodded. Jisung hugged him tightly, kissing him repeatedly.

“That’s my baby boy,” he congratulated him, “you’re a very strong baby.”

Ping sniffled, but eventually let Jisung go. He watched as the two wizards swam away, and made himself comfortable on Jisung’s abandoned clothes on a chair, finding comfort in his scent. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep despite his anxiousness.

When the wizards came back, Ping was still deep asleep, and Jisung motioned Jaehwan to shush. Jaehwan did so, and giggled as he caught Jisung’s tender gaze on the baby dragon. They dried themselves with towels, and Jisung knelt near the chair on which Ping had fallen asleep.

“Hey baby,” Jisung whispered, and Ping opened his eyes suddenly.

He lost his balance trying to get up too quickly, but crawled on the chair to reach Jisung. The latter laughed at his pet’s actions, and kissed his head.

“Did you miss me?” he teased, and Ping nodded.

Jisung got up, and opened his arms; Ping wasted no time and jumped, and he let out happy noises as he cuddled against his bare chest.

“He really is a needy one,” Jaehwan laughed.

“He is,” Jisung agreed, “but it’s fine, he’s so cute.”

They made their way back inside, and had some snacks. Jisung let Jaehwan bathe first, and then went in with Ping. Once again, he played with his dragon and toys, and he sighed in relief when he finally made his way downstairs.

“Should we make dinner now?” Jaehwan offered, and Jisung agreed.

They got to cooking, Ping settled around Jisung’s neck as they did, and once dinner was ready, they relaxed on Jisung’s couch.

“I was thinking we could maybe go outside tonight, to stargaze? I’ve heard that there should be some pretty shooting stars around this period of the year here,” Jaehwan said.

“That sounds good!” Jisung replied, enthusiast, “I don’t often go stargazing.”

“I love stargazing,” Jaehwan said, “there’s so many things you can read in the sky, especially as it’s so clear here! Full moon nights are so good for sky-reading sessions, but I quickly learned living with werewolves would a hindrance when I want to do it.”

“Don’t be so rude,” Jisung slapped his shoulder, “be nice to Daniel’s pack.”

“Look, if one time a month you had to live with wolves howling the whole night while you try to sleep _and_ a furry husband, you’d get me,” Jaehwan defended himself.

“Still,” Jisung shook his head.

“Anyway,” Jaehwan rolled his eyes, “what do you say, Ping? Do you like stars too?”

Ping looked at Jaehwan curiously, and answered “Ping”.

“I’m not sure what that meant, but I’m gonna take it a yes!”

* * *

After dinner, Jaehwan and Jisung waited for the night to fall completely before making their way outside. They set up a blanket on the grass, and wrapped themselves in more blankets before laying on their backs and staring at the sky. There were no clouds, and the moon was half full, still growing into her full phase. The scenery was overall very calm, although if they listened carefully, they could make out noises coming out from the faraway forests.

“Do you think we might really catch sight of any shooting stars?” Jisung asked.

He was feeling deliciously warm in his blanket, and Ping was giving him extra warmth, cuddling on his chest. Jaehwan shuffled next to him.

“The rumors said so,” he answered, “I haven’t seen that many this year so I really hope we will see a few ones.”

While they were waiting for shooting stars to appear, Jaehwan explained to Jisung how he had recently gotten into reading signs in the sky, and how he was currently studying how to do magic at night so as to draw the best out of magical nightly elements such as the moon or star dust. Jisung found himself very invested in the topic, and Jaehwan promised to write down a few books recommendations before he left. Jaehwan was describing an experience a colleague of his had recently done using unicorn blood and star dust when a first shooting star flew through the sky.

“Oh!!” both wizards exclaimed at the same time.

“Ping, look, shooting stars!” Jisung told his dragon, who was actually wide awake.

“Ping!!” his pet exclaimed.

After that first shooting star, several others followed, and a few minutes later, it was like the night sky was illuminated by those in its entirety.

“This is so beautiful,” Jaehwan said, marveling, “this is one of the prettiest shows I’ve ever seen.”

Jisung nodded, unable to word his feelings better. He hugged Ping a little closer to him, and photographed the amazing sight with his eyes.

* * *

“That was incredible,” Jaehwan said as they were back inside, enjoying a cup of warm tea.

“It definitely was,” Jisung agreed, “it was gorgeous but also so powerful! I completely get why you’d want to do magic using such nature mechanisms now.”

“What did you think, little one?” Jaehwan asked Ping.

“Ping, Ping, Piiiiing, Ping!” Ping answered, and the wizards shared a laugh.

“I think it’s positive,” Jisung said, caressing his dragon.

“It seems that way to me too,” Jaehwan giggled, “I’m so tired now,” he added, stretching his arms above his head.

“I’m tired too,” Jisung admitted.

Jaehwan yawned, and gulped down more tea.

“I suggest we finish the spell tomorrow morning, and I’ll leave in the afternoon. I think it’s time I started heading home, I’ve been gone for almost a month now and I really miss Daniel.”

Jisung nodded.

“It was really nice seeing you, Jaehwan, I’m glad you dropped by.”

“I feel the same,” Jaehwan grinned, “next time, maybe you can come visit me and Daniel once we’re done extending the house? You could bring Ping along, obviously, if he hasn’t gotten too big.”

“Sure, we should do that,” Jisung smiled.

Once they finished their tea, they shared a hug, and went to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Jisung woke up feeling that something was wrong.

It didn’t take him very long to quickly figure out what it was: he was currently fitted against someone’s warm chest. His first panicked thought was that maybe he had experienced sleep walking last night, and had ended up in Jaehwan’s bed. His second thought was that maybe the opposite had happened. In either of those situations, that would mean he was hugging Jaehwan while sleeping, which had not been a plan, ever.

He finally acted, and separated from the warm body… and was dumbstruck. A very, _very_ handsome man was currently sleeping in his bed, and Jisung guessed that on top of that, he was naked under the sheets. He gasped, and tried to find a logical explanation to this unexpected situation. He thought hard about what he had done yesterday, but nothing came to mind.

Could this be a trick from Jaehwan?

Jisung gasped another time as he realized Ping wasn’t there anymore. He searched the room and his home with his magic, but found no other presence than his, Jaehwan’s and this unknown man. Jisung bit his lower lip, and came to the conclusion that either Ping had left the house – which sounded unlikely – or that Ping had turned into this man. That also sounded very unlikely, but it could be.

Jisung took a deep breath, and touched the man’s shoulder.

“Uh, hi?”

The stranger opened his eyes, and they met with Jisung’s wide opened ones. A smile spread on his lips, and he sat up. Jisung held back from checking out his bare torso, and instead focused on his face.

“Erm, who are you and what are you doing in my bed? And have you perhaps seen Ping, my dragon? He’s orange, really small and cute.”

“I can’t believe it worked,” the stranger breathed, and Jisung blinked in confusion as the man took a look at his own body, apparently marveling at it, “it really worked, I’m human!”

Seeing as Jisung was still gaping, he scratched his head.

“Uh, this might sound crazy, but I’m Ping?”

Jisung’s jaw fell even more.

“How?!” he asked, not believing it.

“So, uh, I was a dragon, right? Then you took me in and started showering me in love and affection and I really liked it, and I wished for a way to become like you so I could love you back. And the opportunity to make my wish come true happened yesterday night as we went stargazing: I stared at the stars as hard as I could and a thousand times, I made the wish of being able to love you. And it worked!”

This was a lot to take in for Jisung after barely waking up. Even if he was a wizard and had seen countless things regular humans wouldn’t believe, this was a whole new level of unbelievable. Ping looked at him curiously, and his eyebrows dropped.

“Are you going to love me less because I became a human?”

He sounded so sad Jisung’s heart skipped a beat.

“Look, I’m just really confused about the whole thing, you can’t love a pet the same way you’d love a real person-” he started, but Ping interrupted him.

“I can still be your pet if you’d prefer it that way.”

“No, no, no, no, no,” Jisung immediately said, shaking his head, “you’re not a pet anymore, you’re a human. I mean, you look like one, at least.”

Ping tilted his head, and nodded slowly. Jisung sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

“By the way, since I changed forms, would you mind if I picked a human name instead of my dragon one?” Ping asked, playing with his fingers nervously.

“Of course not, go ahead if you have something in mind,” Jisung answered.

He guessed he might as well let him have that.

“I’d like to be called Minhyun.”

Jisung stared at him, and nodded.

“That’s a pretty name.”

Minhyun smiled, and hugged him. Jisung gasped once more as he was brought against Minhyun’s warm chest, and he coughed.

“Thank you,” Minhyun cooed, and Jisung wondered what else this crazy day was about to offer.

He rummaged through his closet to find some clothes for Minhyun, and they headed downstairs. Jaehwan wasn’t up yet, but Jisung didn’t mind and started preparing breakfast. Minhyun first back-hugged him, but was quickly told to sit on a chair because he was slowing down the whole process of making food. He didn’t seem disheartened, and instead kissed Jisung’s cheek before sitting on a chair and watch him cook. Jisung blushed bright red, and coughed, but Minhyun didn’t comment on it.

Eventually, what had to happen happened, and Jaehwan joined them. To say that he was surprised to see Minhyun would be an understatement. He first choked, and then calmed down enough to speak up.

“Who are you?!”

“I’m Minhyun,” Minhyun answered with a pleasant smile, “but I used to be a dragon named Ping!”

Jaehwan looked between Minhyun and Jisung, confused. Jisung sighed, and sat next to Minhyun, who beamed at him.

“Minhyun here, as he said, used to be Ping. He made a wish while we were watching the shooting stars yesterday night to become human, and here he is now. Oh, and he chose Minhyun as his human name.”

Minhyun nodded with enthusiasm.

“This is crazy,” Jaehwan said, awestruck, “it must have taken so much magic for you to turn human, how did that even happen?”

Minhyun opened his mouth, but Jaehwan was quicker.

“Hold on, does that mean you’ve become a human for good? Are you a human? You can’t turn back into a dragon, can you? Oh, so you don’t have magical powers anymore, right? Did you even have those as a dragon? And-”

“Okay, let’s stop right here,” Jisung interrupted, “let’s have breakfast while we discuss, okay? Nothing good can happen with an empty stomach.”

Jaehwan pouted, but agreed, and Minhyun beamed at him again. They ate, and Jaehwan sent a knowing look at Jisung as Minhyun was obviously attempting to cuddle him.

“You’re not my pet anymore, Minhyun,” Jisung said, but Minhyun merely purred.

“But I love you and I want to cuddle with you,” he answered, making both Jisung and Jaehwan choke on their toasts.

Jaehwan started laughing, while Jisung became beet red. Minhyun looked at them in confusion.

“Did I say something weird?”

“You’re so blunt!” Jaehwan howled, “I’m dying!”

“Jaehwan, shut up,” Jisung moaned.

Minhyun looked at the two friends again, and shrugged before going back to cuddling Jisung.

After eating and washing up, the trio agreed that Jaehwan and Jisung finished the tracking spell before trying to understand how Minhyun had gone from Ping to, well, Minhyun. Minhyun watched the two wizards as they worked on the spell, eventually successfully crafting it. As Jaehwan was busy putting it in a container, Jisung, albeit exhausted, started preparing lunch.

“Let me help, please,” Minhyun said, intertwining their fingers as Jisung was about to reach for some vegetables.

Jisung blushed looking at their hands, and Minhyun went for a tight hug. Jisung didn’t know if he was allowed to think that, but Minhyun’s embrace was warm and comfortable and he was loving it. They cooked lunch together as Jaehwan set up the table outside, and ate well.

This time, even Jaehwan agreed to napping, and Jisung wondered if he was ever going to stop blushing from Minhyun’s words and actions as the latter hugged him as he was falling asleep.

Jaehwan woke up from his nap first, and seeing as Jisung and Minhyun were still in dreamland, smiled. He headed towards the house and finished packing before taking out his stuff and his broom outside. He stretched, and checked the weather with his magic: it was warm, and the wind was going in the right direction, so everything should work out. The moment he took his broom out, Jisung and Minhyun had already woken up, but they were visibly both still a bit confused because of sleepiness. He didn’t catch Minhyun kissing Jisung’s cheek, nor the latter’s embarrassed reaction as he hid his face in his hands.

“It was so nice seeing you again,” Jisung said, feeling a bit sad to see his friend leave.

“It was,” Jaehwan agreed, smiling brightly.

They hugged tightly, and Jaehwan patted Jisung’s head.

“Come see me and Daniel next time, okay?”

“I will,” Jisung said, happily.

“It was nice meeting you too Minhyun,” Jaehwan said, turning towards the new addition to their little party, “you’re also invited at my home, if you plan on staying by Jisung’s side.”

“I definitely am planning on staying,” Minhyun giggled, “thank you.”

“And let me know when you’ve found out how the transformation happened, I’m really interested in that!” Jaehwan added, and Jisung laughed.

Jaehwan got on his broom, and kicked the ground. He went up by a few meters, and waved to Jisung and Minhyun.

“Safe travel!” Jisung shouted, “say hi to Daniel for us!”

“Will do, take care!” Jaehwan shouted back before flying away.

Jisung watched as his friend disappeared far in the sky, and sighed.

“I’m glad you’re here, I always feel so lonely whenever my friends leave,” Jisung said, and Minhyun back-hugged him.

“I’ll always be here from now on,” Minhyun answered, burying his face in Jisung’s neck.

Jisung decided to skip the swimming for today. Minhyun and him busied themselves around the house, and after dinner, they sat down on the couch to look into Minhyun’s strange situation. Jisung still had trouble believing that love and the power of sky magic had made Minhyun human, it was all too recent and unexplained. Minhyun, on the other hand, didn’t seem too bothered, and every time Jisung caught him looking at him, it was with pure love in his eyes. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but all he knew was that they needed to have a serious conversation.

“Let’s start from the beginning,” Jisung said, “where do you come from? What are your memories as Ping?”

“I’m not quite sure,” Minhyun winced, “I don’t remember having any family, and I’m not even sure old I am. I don’t think I had the same conception of time as humans do as a dragon, so it could’ve been months or years. I think I’m from around here, because I spent lots of time in the mountains nearby.”

“I know some of the great destroyers live near the peak of the nearby mountains, but your dragon form was nothing like them,” Jisung commented, frowning.

“Maybe I’m from the outer space,” Minhyun joked, “that might explain my strange form and the fact that magic happened with shootings stars.”

Jisung gaped.

“Maybe?” he repeated, “that would be completely crazy but I don’t think it’s impossible.”

Minhyun chuckled.

“I’m not too worried about who I am, strangely enough.”

“But you’re both Ping and Minhyun, right? Don’t those clash in you?” Jisung asked, honestly curious.

“It’s fine,” Minhyun shook his head, “right now I feel completely like Minhyun, although Ping is also buried deep in me.”

“Okay,” Jisung smiled.

He raised a hand so as to caress Minhyun’s hair, and Minhyun tilted his head for a better contact. This went on for a few seconds, and Jisung brought his hand back to him.

“Do you have any powers?” Jisung asked.

“I don’t know,” Minhyun smiled sheepishly, “I still can’t explain my transformation, so maybe? I don’t think just anyone would’ve been able to have their wish granted like that. But I don’t feel different.”

“I have trouble believing it might have been the power of love only,” Jisung muttered, “Jaehwan did spent time explaining to me how forces in the sky worked but I also have trouble believing they’d act on their own like that.”

Minhyun let him rant, and smiled gently.

“I really do love you,” he whispered, taking Jisung’s hand in his.

“We barely know each other,” Jisung said, raising an eyebrow, “I’ve known you as Ping for a few days, and I’ve known you as Minhyun for one day.”

“All I know is that my whole being is filled with nothing but love for you,” Minhyun explained, and he blushed a little saying so, “my feelings for you were strong enough for me to turn into a human, after all.”

He came a little closer to Jisung, who stared at him, still deep in thought.

“I don’t know how I feel towards you,” Jisung said in a low voice, “it’s too recent. I need to get to learn more about you.”

“That’s fine,” Minhyun answered, barely a whisper as he leaned in closer, “my feelings for you won’t change,” he added before pressing his lips to Jisung’s.

Jisung let the kiss happen, and even answered it, slowly. He linked his arms around Minhyun’s neck as they kept kissing, and let Minhyun hug his waist. Their kisses were hot and wet, but there was tenderness in each one of them. Jisung let out a feeble moan when Minhyun tilted his head so as to kiss him better, and a shiver ran down his spine. Their tongues met, and Jisung gasped. He was feeling good, and so was Minhyun. They separated after a few minutes of kissing, and stared at each other, a little lost.

“I love you,” Minhyun breathed against his lips, and Jisung pecked him.

“Thank you,” he answered.

He wasn’t sure he could reply with the same three words yet.

They agreed on going to sleep, and Jisung was unable to deny Minhyun when the latter asked if he could sleep with him. Minhyun was the big spoon, and Jisung couldn’t help but think that he was extremely comfortable and warm. He fell asleep, listening to Minhyun’s even breathing against his back.

* * *

The next morning, Jisung found himself bathing in warmth right after waking up. He blinked, and remembered he had fallen asleep with Minhyun hugging him. He smiled, and turned so that he could face Minhyun. Minhyun looked just as beautiful when in dreamland, and his messy hair looked funny. Jisung noticed he seemed to have natural dark circles under his eyes, and thought it was cute. Because Jisung had moved, Minhyun sensed it, and opened his eyes a little.

“Hello,” Jisung greeted him, voice still laced with sleepiness.

“Hi,” Minhyun whispered, closing his eyes again, “wanna hold you,” he added, hugging Jisung closer to him.

Jisung closed his own eyes too and appreciated being squished against Minhyun’s chest, burying his face in his neck. They lay in silence, just cuddling and breathing slowly, and it was a great start to their new day together.

Jisung eventually made it out from Minhyun’s embrace, and he stretched his arms as he sat on the mattress, getting ready to get up. He hadn’t taken into account that Minhyun had visible troubles accepting not being in constant contact with him, and soon, Minhyun back-hugged him once more.

“You really like that kind of hugs, don’t you?” Jisung asked as Minhyun was nuzzling his neck.

“I’m taller than you,” Minhyun started, and Jisung could hear the pride in his tone, “so I like to take advantage of it.”

Jisung snorted.

“I see,” he said.

He let Minhyun drop a wet kiss on his cheek, and made his way to the bathroom.

As they were enjoying breakfast, Minhyun tangled their ankles. Jisung didn’t comment on it, and merely let him do so. He wasn’t against all of Minhyun’s marks of affection.

“I need to go to town today,” Jisung said, “I’m done with the spells and enchantments I was supposed to prepare for my customers, and I need to go grocery shopping. Would you like to come with me?”

“Of course!” Minhyun beamed, “I’ve never been there!”

“Okay,” Jisung smiled, “would you mind helping me carry a few stuff, then?”

“I don’t mind at all,” Minhyun smiled back.

They washed up and got dressed, and Jisung made sure all of his customers’ orders were in containers in his basket. Minhyun watched him as he picked the last flask and made it fit with the others in the basket, and walked up to him. Jisung put the basket on the kitchen table, and turned around to prepare a big water bottle for the two of them, as well as some nut snacks.

“We’ve got everything,” Jisung said, checking a mental list of everything he wanted to bring.

“Okay,” Minhyun said, nodding.

Jisung watched with visible confusion as Minhyun took yet another step closer to him.

“Yes?” he asked.

Minhyun didn’t answer, and merely bent down after cupping Jisung’s cheeks to kiss him on the lips. It wasn’t just a peck, it was a real kiss, and Jisung answered it while blushing. Minhyun broke away with a grin, and giggled.

“Let’s go,” he said, and Jisung coughed.

They went outside and Jisung locked the door of the house with multiple spells. They stood up in the grass as Jisung prepared for the teleportation spell, and Minhyun watched him as he cast it, in awe. The effect was immediate: one second, they were still at home, the next one, they were in a street in the nearby town. Minhyun gasped, and Jisung laughed.

“As you can see, being a wizard has rendered me too lazy to walk,” he joked, and Minhyun laughed.

“It’s fine, magic is amazing! Where are we going first?”

Jisung felt something in his chest, a warm feeling spreading, and he wondered if this was love slowly overcoming him. He beamed at Minhyun, and actually felt brave enough to tip-toe and kiss his lips gently. Minhyun received his spontaneous kiss with a small moan of happiness, and kissed him back.

They walked around the town the whole morning, selling the spells and enchantments to Jisung’s customers. Each time, Minhyun generally stayed behind, holding the basket with the flasks, while Jisung talked to his customers, and received the payment for his services. They had lunch at a small restaurant, and they took a walk around the town after that, Jisung showing Minhyun around. Minhyu was fascinated with this whole new environment, and Jisung couldn’t help but grow more and more fond of him.

They finally went grocery shopping, and then headed home. They bathed together (Minhyun insisted they did) and relaxed on the couch before they had to prepare dinner. Jisung wanted to read, and Minhyun made him sit on his lap sideways so he could rest his head on his chest. Jisung didn’t even consider arguing, and quickly immersed himself in his book. Minhyun, at first, was caressing Jisung’s hair, but he soon decided to nap instead. Jisung paused halfway through his book, and raised his head to look at Minhyun: he was sleeping soundlessly, mouth a little open, and he was looking so peaceful it made him smile fondly. He pressed a kiss to Minhyun’s chin, barely there, but Minhyun didn’t wake up. He smiled again, and went back to reading.

They cooked dinner together, and ate. They then found themselves on the couch again with a cup of warm tea, and made small talk. Minhyun was easy to talk to and he was curious about a lot of things, which made their conversations flow well. As they eventually ran out of conversation topics, they moved on to sharing kisses, just like the day before. It was just as soft, tender and intimate, and they really enjoyed it.

When Jisung started answering less and less, Minhyun noticed how sleepy he was looking, and chuckled. He gently held him in his arms before heading upstairs, and they went to sleep, cuddled up against each other again.

* * *

They fell in a routine: waking up every morning, each day closer than the previous one, meant starting the day with cuddles that got more and more heated. Jisung was starting to wonder if, despite him being the wizard in this relationship, Minhyun hadn’t cast a spell on him, because he was falling in love, fast. Minhyun was nothing but a fluffball of love, ready to offer hugs and kisses at any time: good morning kisses, kisses of encouragement when spells were too difficult to create and Jisung grew frustrated of working, thank you kisses after good meals, I love you kisses when they would relax, and good night kisses.

Mornings were still dedicated to working for Jisung, and afternoons to naps and swimming. Minhyun wasn’t a big fan of the water unless it was in a tub, and he was still feeling hesitant regarding going as far as to swim in the lake. Jisung understood, himself not being a big fan of depths, but hoped that one day he would start liking swimming too.

Nights were dedicated to reading, chatting while having some tea or coffee, and spending time cuddling, again. Jisung guessed it was all because they were in a honeymoon phase where they couldn’t do anything without the other, but that they would eventually grow out of it.

Minhyun had quickly found himself bored when Jisung worked, so he had started looking for things to do in their home. He had discovered quite a liking for cleaning, as well as cooking, so he would spend time doing chores. Jisung insisted that they could share – and he usually used magic anyway. But Minhyun argued that he was bored, and Jisung let him. Hopefully he’d find a more interesting activity.

Money wasn’t really an issue. Jisung didn’t spend much and he earned enough for the two of them to live comfortably. Moreover, he highly doubted Minhyun had the same mindset most humans had regarding having to have a job so as to tend to their needs. Jisung didn’t mind being the breadwinner, as he liked his job as a wizard.

* * *

Two months after Minhyun’s arrival, they had well settled into their new life as a couple. Every day was similar, though, and Jisung thought that it could do them some good to go on a trip. He decided that a one-day trip in the mountains could be a good start, but then he’d also like to go on vacation near the ocean.

He still hadn’t completely forgotten about wanting to move in the South, and a vacation would be a perfect time for some scouting. He had a vague idea of the kind of place where he’d like to settle, but having a look with Minhyun would be good. Once they had the good spot, all Jisung would do would use magic so as to transform and transport their house, and adapt it to the lifestyle and weather of the South.

For now, he’d suggest they went on a picnic in the mountains. Minhyun received the idea with enthusiasm, and they agreed on going the day after. Minhyun was really excited the night before, and Jisung felt himself falling in love over and over at how adorable he looked. It came to a point Jisung had to put some sleeping powder in his tea, because Minhyun was just like an excited kid before a trip.

After a good night sleep, they woke up and prepared their picnic. Minhyun was getting excited again, the effect of Jisung’s magic wearing off, but this time, Jisung didn’t mind. As they made their way outside, Minhyun was letting out small, happy noises. Jisung kissed him for a long time, feeling overwhelmed with strong feelings of love for him, and Minhyun answered each and every one of his kisses, needy.

They headed for the forest, hand in hand, and they made small talk as they trailed further in the woods.

“I was thinking we could go up for a bit,” Jisung said as they were taking a break to have some water and breathe, “I can’t make any promises, but we could even see dragons.”

Mnhyun’s eyes lit up at that.

“The great destroyers you mentioned?”

“Maybe them,” Jisung agreed, “and there’s some less dangerous dragons around here. These mountains are quite vast, and there aren’t that many dragons in the first place, though.”

“Have you ever seen some?” Minhyun asked, sitting closer to him so as to rest his head on his shoulder.

“I have,” Jisung told him, caressing his hair gently, “but from afar, obviously.”

Minhyun nodded.

“I hope we can see some, then.”

They kept climbing up, and Jisung would sometimes tell Minhyun about some particular trees or plants that were specific to the region.

“There used to be elves and fairies here,” Jisung said, gazing around with nostalgia, “a very long time ago, I wasn’t born yet.” he added. “But they moved to warmer places, or their peoples went extinct. This forest is full of history and magic.”

“I can tell,” Minhyun agreed, “it’s really impressive.”

“Do you have any memories that are coming back from your time as Ping?” Jisung asked.

“No”, Minhyun smiled sheepishly, “nothing specific.”

“Oh,” Jisung said, “I was hoping that maybe being here would trigger something.”

Minhyun shrugged.

“I’m fine with being Minhyun now,” he said, smiling, “especially if it means being with you.”

Jisung giggled, and hugged him briefly.

“I’m happy too,” he whispered in Minhyun’s chest.

They climbed enough to have an amazing sight on the lake, and sat down to have their picnic there. They spent some time sitting close, watching as some birds would sometimes fly over the lake.

“This place is really quiet,” Minhyun said, “I can see why you enjoy living here so much.”

“But it was also very lonely,” Jisung said after a few seconds, “I’m realizing it now that we’re living together, but I used to be alone and lonely. I’m really happy you came into my life.”

Minhyun squeezed him in his arms.

“I’m happy we met, me too.”

“I love you,” Jisung whispered in his neck, and Minhyun answered by the same three words.

They picked up their hike again, and this time, as they were really high, started feeling cold. Jisung had planned that this would happen, and had put a spell on his backpack so that he could carry coats in it. They took a breather and dressed up warmly, and the hike was easier this way.

Their pace was so good they even started seeing snow from being so high. Minhyun’s eyes lit up at the sight, and Jisung watched fondly as he started touching it and took in the white sight that lay before their eyes. They walked for some time, when they both felt a disturbance in the air. They shared a look, and made their way to trees to take cover. Jisung looked up, scanning the sky, and went “oh!”.

“Minhyun,” he whispered, “here!”

Jisung cast a quick invisibility spell, which allowed them to move from the trees that covered the view. Minhyun gasped as he took in the sight above them: a majestic dragon, all black and red hues, was flying just there. The beast was actually way up in the sky, but it was so big it wasn’t really hard to spot.

“Is that a great destroyer?” Minhyun asked in a low voice, fascinated.

“The shape and colors would indicate so,” Jisung agreed, “but he’s not an adult yet. He could go three to four times bigger,” he added.

Minhyun could barely believe it. The dragon was already twice as big as their house, and their house wasn’t that small!

“Woah,” he marveled.

“We’re really lucky to see one,” Jisung said, “even living around here I didn’t get to see that many of them.”

The duo stayed quiet and watched as the beast kept flying. Jisung hoped he wouldn’t land too close to them, and he released a sigh of relief when the dragon headed for the peak of the mountain instead.

“That was incredible,” Minhyun smiled.

“I’m glad you liked it babe,” Jisung chuckled, “Hell, I’m so cold,” he whined.

“C’mere,” Minhyun said, opening his arms, and Jisung wasted no time to find comfort in his warm embrace.

“How come you’re so warm?” Jisung complained.

“I’m not sure?” Minhyun answered truthfully.

Jisung whined again, and Minhyun did his best to warm him up.

“If you’re feeling too tired to climb down, can you use magic to teleport us back home?” Minhyun asked.

He was genuinely worried about Jisung’s health, especially seeing as his skin had gotten really red from the cold, and his lips were blue-ish. He had no idea why himself wasn’t that affected by the cold – he guessed he may have to do with his former dragon nature or maybe his possible magic powers – but one thing was sure, he wanted Jisung to be safe.

“I can do that, yeah,” Jisung said, “I’d need a little more magic, though, because being so high and staying in the cold weakened me quite a bit.”

“Try to see if there’s a way you can use mine?” Minhyun suggested.

They still hadn’t found out whether Minhyun was capable of doing magic, but he guessed it was worth a shot. Jisung nodded, and cuddled up even closer to him. Minhyun closed his eyes, and wished to transfer his magic to Jisung. He hugged him tighter, and Jisung gasped.

“I think it’s working,” Jisung stuttered, “I can feel a magic flow that isn’t mine coming inside me,” he added, clearly surprised.

“Awesome,” Minhyun smiled, “let’s keep going then.”

Minhyun emptied his mind and focused on the magic transfer only. He wasn’t able to tell whether it was working, but Jisung, who was a lot more sensitive to magic than he was, could definitely tell.

“I have enough magic now,” Jisung told him after long minutes, “thank you love.”

Minhyun didn’t release his embrace, but smiled tenderly.

“You’re very welcome.”

Jisung articulated the spell, and they were back at their home moments after.

They shared a long bath, and had a good, warm dinner, prepared by Minhyun. Jisung was a lot more tired than he was, so Minhyun offered to cook. Jisung napped on the couch while he did, and was woken up by the delicious smell of Minhyun’s cooking. They didn’t talk much, tiredness overcoming them, and went to bed. They kissed a bit before falling asleep.

* * *

The following morning, Jisung escaped Minhyun’s embrace to go to the bathroom. While he was at it, he showered and brushed his teeth, but when he came back to their room, Minhyun was still lazily laying in bed.

“Let’s spend some time in bed,” Minhyun whined, and Jisung shook his head, amused.

“Okay, but go wash up first.”

Minhyun was out of the bed in seconds and Jisung closed his eyes as he listened to him showering. He crawled back in bed, and inhaled their mixed scents, still there on the pillows. Minhyun came back soon, and Jisung smiled as his lover joined him under the sheets. Minhyun hadn’t dressed up, which didn’t surprise Jisung, and he immediately brought Jisung to his chest for cuddles. They didn’t talk much, more focused on kissing and making out, and Jisung started feeling an unusual warmth in his stomach that slowly spread to his entire body. He had no doubt Minhyun was feeling the same, because his moans were getting significantly higher, and they were both sweating. Jisung felt a shiver run down his spine as Minhyun got on top of him, pressing their lower halves together. This time for sure, they were both really aroused, and it was a decisive moment. Minhyun got his face out of Jisung’s neck, panting, and Jisung tried to catch his own breath. They shared a look, and laughed, a little embarrassed.

“Do we, um,” Minhyun started, getting redder, “you know?”

Jisung laughed.

“Do you want to?” he asked, gently.

Minhyun nodded with obvious enthusiasm, making Jisung laugh harder. Jisung brought Minhyun for a tender kiss.

“I love you,” he whispered against his lips.

“Love you more,” Minhyun answered, and he kissed him once more.

* * *

Getting out of bed proved to be harder than expected hours later, and the couple spent some much needed time in the bathtub, washing up and cuddling after their bed activities. Jisung was thankful they had food ready, because he had zero energy left to cook. Minhyun was a little better, but not so much. They had a light lunch, and took advantage of the weather still being nice and warm to lay a blanket on the grass and nap.

Jisung felt a lot closer to Minhyun after this morning, and he really liked being able to tell that their magic energies had mixed up. Minhyun was always happy to be with him, so there was no surprised about that.

“Babe?” Jisung asks, caressing Minhyun’s fringe as the latter was waking up from their nap.

“Hmm?”

“What do you think of going on holidays?”

Minhyun opened his eyes at that, and blinked owlishly.

“Where?”

“I told you about my plans to move to the South, near the ocean, right? There’s this place I really like and which I usually visit one or twice a year and I was thinking that we could go there together.”

Minhyun nodded, still thinking about it.

“I’ve never been to the ocean before,” he said, slowly.

“It’s really nice,” Jisung said, but he frowned seeing Minhyun’s expression. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure if I’d like it there,” Minhyun said, biting his lower lip.

“Oh.”

Jisung hadn’t thought about that, and now that Minhyun was bringing it up, he felt worried and a little heart-broken. He really meant to live in the South, but if Minhyun didn’t like it, then he’d have to reconsider it. Minhyun noticed his distress, and frowned too.

“Sorry, I didn’t want to make you upset. I just… I just don’t know what the South is like, so it’s worrying me.”

Jisung nodded.

“One more reason to spend holidays there, right? If you don’t like it we won’t move there.”

“But you really wanted to go there,” Minhyun protested weakly.

“There’s no point in moving somewhere if you don’t like it,” Jisung argued back, “really, it’s fine. Your well-being is more important.”

Minhyun hugged him tightly at that.

“I hope I’ll like it,” he whispered.

* * *

The week after, the couple found themselves in front of their house, each with a suitcase and a backpack. Jisung articulated spells to lock the house and protect it, and Minhyun waited patiently, mentally checking that they hadn’t forgotten anything. Jisung had cast spells on their suitcases and bags so that they would be able to contain more of their stuff while not weighing more, and Minhyun thought it was a very useful spell.

Jisung had been saving his magic for days now, because they would travel to their destination through a teleportation spell. He had shown Minhyun on a map how far the South was compared to their current location, and at first, Minhyun hadn’t been able to believe that Jisung would be able to use a teleportation enchantment powerful enough to make them move through half the country.

“I might need your magic,” Jisung had joked, “because it’s really tiring, even for me.”

“Why don’t we travel another way?” Minhyun had asked, confused.

“Ah, that’s just a me thing. You see, I don’t like the act of traveling itself, compared to someone like Jaehwan who really enjoys spending hours on the road or in the skies. I’d rather use magic, even if it’s a lot more tiring.”

“Oh. Could we go travel using roads at some point, though?”

“Sure,” Jisung had smiled, kissing the frown off Minhyun’s forehead.

Jisung was done with his spells. He walked up to Minhyun and closed his eyes, focusing. Minhyun took hold on his hands, and also focused on the thought of transferring magic. He still hadn’t figured out how his magic worked, so that was all he could do and hope it would work. Despite not being as magic sensitive as Jisung was, even he could tell there were important magic flows around them. He held on Jisung’s hands a little tighter, and Jisung squeezed his fingers reassuringly.

The magic vibes around started spinning harder, and Minhyun almost forgot how to breathe. Jisung kept their hands solidly linked, and the magic started operating. Minhyun forced his eyes closed as they changed locations, and both he and Jisung collapsed on the ground once they had arrived.

Jisung fell forward in Minhyun’s chest, and Minhyun hugged him, breathless.

“We’re here,” Jisung said, sounding happy.

Minhyun looked around. They were on the sand, near the ocean, and the sun was high in the sky. The beach was completely empty, and he could hear sea birds croaking above them. Under them, the sand was warm, but not burning, as it was a gold color.

“It’s hot,” Minhyun said, feeling uncomfortable in his clothes.

“It’s quite hot around here,” Jisung agreed, “let’s go to our house and get changed.”

They got up with some difficulties, and walked to a small cottage, hand in hand. Jisung unlocked the door, and went “ta-da!” as Minhyun followed him inside. In the same room, similarly to their home, were the living room with a couch, and the kitchen. There were two doors, one leading to a bathroom with a bathtub and the toilets, and the other to the bedroom. Jisung happily walked in, making their suitcases float to their room, as Minhyun was busy staring at the unknown environment.

“It seemed bigger when I came here on my own,” Jisung said from the room, “but now that I’m coming here with you, it seems a little smaller. But I’m so happy to be here,” he added with a giggle.

He gazed fondly at Minhyun, who still looked lost.

“Let’s get changed,” Jisung told him, “I don’t want you to feel bad because you’re overheating.”

A few minutes later, they were making their way to the ocean. Jisung was practically skipping on the beach, while Minhyun was still uncomfortable. They set up a parasol, under which they lay their towels, and Jisung was buzzing with excitement.

“I’ll go swim,” he told Minhyun, “do you want to come with me?”

“I’d rather stay here for now,” Minhyun answered, forcing a smile.

“Okay,” Jisung beamed, “see you,” he added, pressing a tender kiss to Minhyun’s lips before walking to the water.

Minhyun brought his knees to his chest, and sighed. He wasn’t really fond of this place for now, but Jisung looked the happiest he had ever seen him being in a while. He watched as Jisung swam, and did nothing while waiting for him to come back. The warmth was getting unbearable even if he wasn’t moving, and he was sweating a lot. For some reason, his sweat was making his skin itch, which added to his annoyance.

When Jisung finally left the lagoon, he was still completely wet. He dropped to his knees on Minhyun’s towel, and leaned forward to kiss him. Minhyun answered his kiss, and shivered as Jisung’s wet skin made contact with his. Minhyun frowned, and Jisung felt something was wrong.

“Are you okay?” he asked, worried, “you don’t seem fine.”

“I’m feeling too hot,” Minhyun admitted, “my skin is burning me,” he added, and he sighed.

Jisung took a look at his skin, and frowned seeing that Minhyun’s skin had indeed turned an angry red where he had been sweating, and that even now, he was having a seemingly allergic reaction to the salty water of the ocean where Jisung had touched him.

“Oh no,” Jisung lamented, “I’m so sorry love, I had no idea you’d feel like this here,” he apologized, his heart breaking at the sight of Minhyun obviously in pain. “Let’s go back inside for now, I’ll find a treatment right away.”

They went back to their house, and Minhyun lay on the bed, tears welling up in his eyes from the burning sensation that was causing red patches to appear on his skin. Jisung showered quickly, getting rid of the salt on his skin, and hurried back by Minhyun’s side. He rummaged through his suitcase, and got some products. He cast spells while preparing ointments, and was quickly satisfied with his own work. Apologizing in advance to Minhyun, he started spreading the ointment on his body, hoping it would ease his boyfriend’s pain. To his relief, the effect was immediate, and Minhyun was soon no longer in pain. Jisung pushed away his flasks and containers, and hopped on the bed to lay by Minhyun’s side, throwing an arm around his waist.

“I’m really sorry,” Jisung reiterated his apology, kissing Minhyun’s shoulder, “I didn’t think you’d have such a hard time here.”

“I feel better now, but let’s say that this isn’t really making eager to live here,” Minhyun answered.

“Don’t think about that now,” Jisung said, shaking his head, “just focus on me.”

Minhyun’s breathe picked up as he felt Jisung sharing magic with him, and he almost choked on air because the flow was overwhelming. Jisung lowered the intensity of his magic, and Minhyun felt a lot better.

“Can you tell me that you love me?” Minhyun whispered.

“I love you,” Jisung replied at once, “I love you so much, I love you, I love you, I love you,” he resumed, laying kisses in Minhyun’s neck.

“Keep going, please,” Mihyun asked, breathless.

Jisung got on top of him, and this time was able to kiss his face as he was whispering words of love against his skin. Minhyun let his hands rest on Jisung’s hips, and appreciated every kiss and word pressed to his skin. He could tell his energy and magic were coming back to him the more Jisung told him about how much he loved him, and he didn’t want Jisung to stop. It felt good to be showered in love.

“Are you feeling better?” Jisung asked as they were starting to get a little heated from all the kissing.

“I am,” Minhyun reassured him, “and I’m starting to really be convinced that my magic comes from love, I can’t explain how else I’m getting energy from us doing this.”

Jisung giggled.

“You might become the most powerful person ever, then,” he teased, “because my love for you is bound to know no limits.”

“I’d like that,” Minhyun whispered, asking for yet another kiss, which Jisung gave him right away.

“Let’s rest a bit and get food,” Jisung offered, “and I promise I’ll come up with solutions for your condition,” he added, kissing Minhyun’s cheek.

“Okay,” Minhyun smiled.

* * *

Jisung worked on spells the whole afternoon while Minhyun was taking a nap then bathing in cold water in the bathtub. It was only after dinner and when the moon was shining on the beach that they went for a walk outside. The weather had gotten a lot colder, which made it easier for Minhyun to go out.

They walked a moment, sometimes stopping to stare at the reflection of the stars in the water. They eventually sat up on the sand, Jisung cuddled up against Minhyun’s chest while sitting between his legs.

“This place is nicer at night,” Minhyun commented in Jisung’s hair, and Jisung looked up to kiss his chin.

“It must really feel that way for you,” Jisung agreed, thoughtful, “but I’ll try to change your mind once my enchantment is done,” he added, nodding to himself.

“You really want me to like it here, hm?” Minhyun teased him.

“It’s one of my most favorite places,” Jisung muttered, “so yeah, I really wanted to share the happiness that this place brings me with you.”

Minhyun kissed him.

“I know you’re trying your best and I really appreciate it. I hope your magic can help me feel better here.”

They stayed silent for a few moments, before Jisung went “ouch”. Alarmed, Minhyun looked down.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was touching the sand but I think I cut myself on a shellfish,” Jisung whined.

“Let me look,” Minhyun said, taking hold of Jisung’s right hand. He squinted, and indeed, there was a cut on his index. Unsure of what he was doing, he pressed his thumb to the cut, and wiped it. The blood didn’t smear, for the cut disappeared with his swiping gesture.

“What did you just do?” Jisung asked, awestruck, “you healed me!” he exclaimed.

“I guess I did?” Minhyun said, not quite believing his own eyes.

“Should I cut myself again to see if you can repeat that?” Jisung asked, and Minhyun sent him a look that said “really?”.

Jisung grinned sheepishly.

“There’s still a lot I don’t know about my powers,” Minhyun said, staring at his hand, “but I think it’s fine if I can learn about them step by step?”

“Of course,” Jisung happily agreed, “you’re doing so well. We have all the time in the world, love.”

Minhyun smiled, and lay on his back, bringing Jisung down with him.

“Let’s stay together forever, and discover everything about each other,” Minhyun said, staring at the stars while hugging Jisung tighter.

“Let’s,” Jisung chuckled, “I’m more than looking forward to spending my life with you. You bring a lot of unexpectedness and surprises in my life.”

There was a moment of silence, only broken by the sound of waves crashing on the sand.

“I love you,” Minhyun whispered, squeezing Jisung in his arms.

“Love you more,” Jisung answered.

Thank you for coming into my life.

**Author's Note:**

> As I was tired and thinking of this fic, I told a friend "if only there were more dungeons, I could've called it Dungeons and Dragons". My mind goes ridiculous places.
> 
> Also, yes, Ping is based on Minhyun's character from the NU'EST x Spoonz collaboration, Ping! (someone pls gift me a Ping plushie)


End file.
